WARWICK
11th AUGUST 2001
Lesson at the British Racing School pays
off.
The first race at Warwick was for riders who have never ridden
a winner, the veteran Al Jabal, gave Debbie Selfe a thrilling
ride to take the race on the nod from Zemio. Jockey
Debbie Selfe reaped the rewards of a lesson at the Racing School,
‘I wanted to improve riding a finish,’ said Debbie, ‘Al Jabal
is such a gentleman, and still keen to run at his age. He likes
to think he is running away with you at home, and enjoys it
when a new person rides him.’ Debbie has her own 4-year-old
at home by Drongo, but is waiting for him to mature before she
races him.
This was the first leg of a double for Andrea Boulton completed
by Brian on Riverdance in the 2 mile race. Arabian horses
are bred for stamina and are well able to race over the longer
distances; this race provided an exciting finish as Cathy Thomas
had set off at a good pace on Dhorgaam with Riverdance
waiting to pounce in the final furlong to win by half a length.
This was a second win for the Jill Scrase bred Dantist mare,
owner Maxine Cave-Debuse was thrilled and said “Arabian horses
are still maturing and coming to themselves as 6-year-olds.”
A colt making his racecourse debut won the Maiden Stakes for
trainer Sarah Kelleway. WFA Dodi was pushed along by
Simon Walker in the early stages of the race, and then got into
his stride to take the lead in the home straight and stay there
ahead of Yucel Mehmet on Mural-De-Fue and Pierre Deymonaz
on Kahrabaiya in a fast run mile race. The more experienced
Djemila De Leyre made it a double for Sarah and Simon
by winning the Mares Championship Stakes comfortably from previous
winners Pleinne D’Amour and Lady Marisha.
There was some delay to the John Ward Memorial Stakes as Jawaal
unseated his rider at the start and continued around the track
on his own. After several false starts due to sprinters keen
to be off, Mrs Connally’s mare Affecshahn came home ahead
of a large field ridden by leading jockey Pierre Deymonaz.
“This horse is lucky to be alive at all,” explained Pierre,
“She was born by Caesarean section.” Pierre went on to make
it a double on Sanji in the Tayross Homes Stakes. In a thrilling
finish Sanji kept half a length ahead of Iamys De
Carrere, hard ridden by Sarah Kelleway from the bend. Owner
Stuart Shefras said, ‘Pierre gets on well with the horse and
never uses the whip on him.’ Sanji will be standing at stud
from March 2001 to a limited number of mares.
Four horses finished close together in the Roger & Linda
Happiness Sweepstakes. Sabez, ridden by Fred Offord
for owner/trainer John Stroud, prevailed over Obayyan
by half a length, with Island Dancer a short head third,
and Sakit Sura fourth.
I had the pleasure of riding Steve and Ruth Kellow’s first
winner, Frimousse Champeix, in the Anwar Racing.Com AA/PB
Stakes. This is Steve and Ruth’s first foray into Arab racing.
Ruth has always been keen on horses, but husband Steve used
to compete in Sidecar Motor Cross at British Championship level
and travelled all over Europe to race. Steve took up riding
about three years ago and turned to horse racing to give him
the thrills he enjoyed in Motor Cross. He bought Frimousse
Champeix, (Cara), two years ago and spent all of last year getting
to know her and learning about training a racehorse. He started
riding in the yard under security lights and had to wait until
the clocks went forward before he could start doing roadwork
and eventually canter work on her. Steve gets up at 5am to
feed Cara, goes to work for Pickfords in Portsmouth then gets
back to the yard at 6pm to ride out. Ruth also works full time,
and in between all this they try to find time for baby daughter
Georgia. All the hard work has paid off with a winner.
